I have two cars to maintain. One is my 1996 Maxima and the other is my 1987 Mercedes. When I change the oil in the Mercedes, it's recommended to suction the oil out of the car versus draining it through the drain plug. Can this process also be used for my Maxima? Is there any thing that I should be aware of?

 

How peculiar - I've not heard of it, though I can't imagine it would ever make a difference either way! Why do you have to suck it out on the merc?

 

Well when you look at it. Most oil change places today use the suction method. I heard that it's:

1. Cleaner - because the suction device collects and stores all the oil inside the can and then you would take it to a oil recycling place to dispose of. This eliminates the possibly of you spilling oil either on the ground or in your garage.

2. Easier - at least in the Mercedes because our oil filters are on the top passenger side of the engine. Plus, you don't have to get under the car to open the drain plug. Also, by not having to open the drain plug you wouldn't have to worry about stripping the drain plug threads when reinserting.

3. Used to remove excess fluids where you might have topped it off to much.

Here's more information on what I use: (click below)

http://www.skilimited.com/xq/asp/cli...qx/product.htm

 

I have used a Pela Oil extractor on my 94 altima. It does a good job of getting more used oil out with the car level than the drain plug method with the car on ramps. The only reason that I did not use it on the Maxima is because I take an oil sample to send to a lab for testing.

The only caveat is having a way to get to the oil filter near the inside of the right front wheel. After draining the oil on level ground, try a floor jack to get under the car to reach the oil filter.

Here is a link to Overton's.

http://www.overtons.com/cgi-bin/over...rom=performics

 

Learn new things every day I guess

 

I use one of these to change the oil in my truck.

 

This is all relative to individual situations and I wouldn't say that most shops use this method to change oil. None of us do at the shop where I work because it simply isn't ideal for us. But for the DIYer I can see this being an advantage.

Most Mercedes that I encounter have the oil filter on the driver side, close to the firewall.

Stripping the drain plug threads is very rare in my experience except in the case of Volkswagon Vanagons. And I have never seen one strip on a Mercedes. It can easily be repaired with the use of a re-threader or a "time saver" .

Also don't forget the other sides of the equation. Changing your oil the old fashioned way forces you to actually look under your vehicle and inadvertantly inspect it for leaks and other potential problems.

 

I understand exactly what you're saying. So I inspect underneath both vehicles weekly. It only takes a few minutes to do since I have all the proper tools, ie: 3 ton jack, jack stands, etc. I really check the Max, because this is the car my wife drives and her driving habits are very different from mine. So I have to be maintenance/mechanic man on a daily basis because there could be something developing and she wouldn't realize what's happening until it's too late.

When I do our oil changes, I alternate methods. I use the Topsider this time and then I use the drain plug the next time. I make sure that I stick to an oil change regiment, marking down the miles until the next one is due. I can definitely feel the difference in performance of both engines when the oil is new and fresh. And it's the best method for keeping your engine operating efficiently. My 96 Max has 98,000 miles and the 87 Benz 420 SEL has 145,600 miles on the clock and both are running strong.